The Hare and the Jackrabbit
by TheOneObsessedWithHP
Summary: As Neville Longbottom starts his second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he develops a bond with a first year who goes by the name of Luna Lovegood. By the end of the year they are close, best friends even. And by the end of the next, they are like brother and sister. But by the end of his fourth year, Neville doesn't think of Luna as just a friend anymore.
1. Chapter 1: The Journey to Hogwarts

"Bye, dad!" Luna waved a farewell to her father, who was standing on the platform, teary eyed. He was sending off his one and only daughter to Hogwarts, school of witchcraft and wizardry. She had started showing signs of magic when she was seven. Her father first noticed it when Luna knocked over her glass of pumpkin juice, and it didn t spill over her homework which she had spent a week on, it just stayed in the cup like it was frozen. On that day, he became teary eyed and hugged his daughter, proud that she was showing signs early, and that she was a witch. When Luna got her letter, it was hard to decide who was more excited, Luna or her dad. Now, as he stood on the platform, watching his daughters waving hand get smaller and smaller as the train moves further away, he was grinning from ear to ear with pride. His little girl was all grown up.

Luna pulled her arm back inside the carriage as the train rounded the corner, blocking her dad from view. She was alone in her carriage, most people were standing around in the corridor. She took this time to look around. Some people were already dressed in their robes, some in sweaters of their house colours, and in the compartment next to her, a boy with dreadlocks who looked a few years older than her had a giant tarantula on his lap.

A boy and a girl that only looked a year older than her approached her door. "Hello, do you mind if we sit in here? Everywhere else is full." The girl asked. She had a curly mess of brown hair, and the trunk she was carrying behind her had the initials H.J.G. "Go ahead. My name is Luna Lovegood, what s yours?" She asked. "I'm Hermione Granger. This is Neville, Neville Longbottom. Are you a first year?" Hermione asked.

"Nice to meet you, yes I am." Luna smiled at the pair as they sat down. The boy was holding a toad, and the girl was holding a stack of books. They both placed what they were holding on the seats while they heaved they re trunks onto the shelves above them. Neville went to grab his toad, but it sprung into Lunas lap. She let out a small giggle and stroked his toad. "I m so sorry!" Neville squeaked.

"Oh, it s quite alright. What's it's name?" She continued petting in on the head as it croaked happily.

"His name is Trevor. My uncle bought me him as a present. I m a pure blood, but my family thought I was all muggle for ages. They kept trying to force magic out of me, but it never worked until one day my uncle was hanging me by my ankles from a window, and dropped me when gran offered him food. They all thought I was going to die, but I just bounced along the pavement. Gran cried that s how happy she was, my uncle left to go buy me a toad." Neville sat down next to Luna, and Hermione across from them. Trevor hopped back into Neville's lap.

"Wow! The first sign of magic I showed was when I knocked over my pumpkin juice, it didn t spill over my homework, it just froze in the glass, and when I picked the glass back up it turned to liquid again. My dad was very pleased. I m a pureblood too." They smiled at each other.

"I m a muggleborn. I didn t know all the things I could do were magic until I got my letter. Everyone at my school just thought I was a freak. One of them tried to shove my head in a toilet, but the water emptied itself and the sprayed the person shoving my head in the toilet." Hermione frowns a little at the memory.

"I think that s cruel that they bullied you. I use to get bullied too, everyone called me Loony Lovegood."

The trolley lady soon came around, and everyone bought a bunch of different things, which they ended up sharing.

'I suppose we should get changed. Do you mind turning around Neville?" Luna asked. Neville went bright red and quickly turned around. They all closed the blinds around the windows and got changed.

Neville covered his eyes tightly and sat back down. "It s all right Neville, we re done." Hermione said, and Neville uncovered his eyes. "Oh, your both in Gryffindor!" Luna chirped, as she looked over their uniforms. T"hat s the same house Harry Potter is in, are you friends with him?"

"We are actually, very good friends. I should probably go find him and Ron." Hermione said, standing up.

"Oh, all right. It was lovely meeting you, I hope we see each other again. Although, you have quite a few nargles in your head, which you ought to get rid of." Luna said her farewell in her usual airy voice.

"Oh, alright then. Thanks, I think?" Hermione raised her eyebrow, while Luna smiled kindly at her. Hermione turned and walked away, leaving her trunk in the compartment.

"What are nargles?" Neville asked Luna shyly.

"Invisible creatures that infest in mistletoe, but humans too. You can see them through these special types of glasses I have, but I've left then in my bedroom at home. I can sense them now, I don t really need them any more. You can have them if you d like, I can send an owl to my father and ask him to send them up here." Luna queried.

"Oh, thanks. That would be great." Neville politely grinned at her, but felt extremely awkward. Why had Hermione had to leave him with this girl he had never met before? Okay, Neville, he thought to himself, 'Stay calm, take time to think before you speak. Maybe you can make a good impression.' He took a deep breath and looked towards Luna, who was looking at him. He blushed deeply and she looked away out the window.

"So what house do you think you will be in?" Neville covered.

"Well, my mum and dad were both in Ravenclaw, so perhaps that wouldn t be to bad. Wouldn t really fancy being in Slytherin, there are a lot of mean people in that house, they give off negative energy. But I have a cousin from Slytherin, we don t talk much, but atleast I would know someone." Luna shrugged, causing Neville to raise an eyebrow.

"Who s your cousin?" He asked. But he never got his answer. The train stopped and a ruckus broke out in the corridors as everyone got up to leave, and started bustling out the door.

"Please leave all your luggage on the train, it will be delivered shortly." A mechanical voice rang out. As Luna and Neville stood to leave, Neville slid the compartment door open and stood aside, letting Luna go through.

"Thank you Neville, you re very polite." She walked through the door and Neville followed her, closing the door behind him. He grinned but didn t reply as the walked out of the train.

"Firs years! Firs years to me please! Come on now, quickly!" Hagrids booming voice broke out.

"Well, that s my queue to skadoo. I hope I see you after the feast some time?" Luna asked.

"Yeah, of course!" Neville confirmed. He was caught off guard when Luna wrapped her arms around him, but responded by doing the same, his heart racing.

"See you later Nev!" She smiled at him and ruffled his hair, before walking away. Neville stood there with his face burning and a smile on his face.


	2. Chapter 2: The Sorting

Neville watched from the Gryffindor table as all the first years were sorted. Sat next to him was Hermione, who wasn't paying all that much attention to the ceremony because she was worried about her friends,both of which weren't on the Hogwarts Express. She checked every compartment, yet Ron and Harry were nowhere to be seen.

"Lovegood, Luna." Caught Hermiones attention.  
"Isn"t that the girl from the train?" Hermione asked Neville as the hat cried out "Ravenclaw!" . He nodded in reply, a strange look on his face. Hermione didn't know it, but Neville was slightly dissapointed that Luna hadn't been sorted into Gryffindor. They may not have many classes together, and nor will they see each other often. But the smile on her face made the pain subside slightly, because he knew it was selfish, because she was so happy. But what Neville didn't know, was that Luna was also hoping she would get into Gryffindor, the boy on the train being every reason for it.

The list of first years went on, the last being Weasley, Ginny who was sorted into Gryffindor, and sat next to Hermione. "Wheres Harry? and Ron?" Gnny asked, but Hermione just shrugged, not having a clue. Ginny also spent the rest of the night looking worried, and by the time the feast was over, Hermione was close to tears. When Ginny followed Percy and the other Gryffindor Prefects to the common room, Hermione and Neville stayed behind. "It will be fine, we'll look for them in the common room, then we'll look in the boys dormitories, and if we don't find them then we will talk to Professor Dumbledore. They'll be fine, they know how to defend themselves." Neville tried to assure Hermione as they started walking. Hermione nodded, not trusting her voice.  
"Hello, Neville! Hello, Hermione!" Luna chirped, walking up to the pair,  
"Hi Luna, I need to get to the common room, so I ll catch up with you later. You can stay Neville, I can walk there myself." Hermione said quietly. Neville nodded, and stayed put as Hermione left.

"Congratulations on getting into Ravenclaw, your parents will be proud." Neville said, causing Luna to smile lightly.  
"I suppose so, I m heading up to the owlery to send my dad a letter." Neville gave her a quizzical look. "My mother passed when I was nine, her cauldron exploded and she died straight away, so it's just me and dad now." Luna explained with sadness in her voice. Nevilles face dropped.  
"Sorry, I didn t-" Neville was about to apologise, but Luna stopped him.  
"It's quite alright Neville, how could you have known? Anyway, I should probably start heading back to my common room, it s nearly curfew." Neville nodded at her.

"Do you want me to walk you there? My curfew isn't for another half an hour." Neville asked, causing Luna to smile at him.  
"That would be lovely, but only if it's not to much of a bother." Luna answered.  
"Oh, no. It s fine." Neville spoke the truth, though it was half because he wanted to spend more time with Luna, and half because he didn't want to deal with Hermione if Ron and Harry weren't there. She get's angry when she's sad, and Neville knows from experience that the books she carries with her all day are very hard and can be used for more than just reading purposes.

They start their walk to the west side of the castle, and Neville makes small talk to fill in the silence. "So do you like your common room?" He asks, and Luna nodded.  
"It is very cosy, but full of Nargles, which is a shame." Neville nodded to her Nargles statement.  
"On the train, you said you can sense Nargles. How does the atmosphere change with them around?" He asked, keeping up with the conversation. "The temperature rises a little bit, and sometimes my heart speeds up. Which reminds me, I m sure you have a couple of Nargles in your head, I can sense them whenever I'm near you."  
"Oh, is there anyway you can get rid of Nargles?" Neville asks, as they approach the spiralling staircase to get to the common room.  
"Of course, you should try a butterbeer cork necklace, it s always worked for me. Although if they're infesting mistletoe or your lawn you need to sprinkle it with lemon juice." Luna answered.  
"Thanks, I ll keep that in mind." Neville tried not to breath to heavily after the many staircases started taking their toll.

They reach a door with no handle or key hole, but with a bronze doorknocker shaped as an eagle. "What goes down and up at the same time, while not moving an inch?" The door knocker asked. Neville was confused, shouldn't it just ask for a password?  
"Stairs?" Luna asked.  
"Correct!" The door creaked open and from where he was standing, Neville could see a vast blue room with stars on the ceiling, and he thought vaguely of the Great Hall. "You have to answer a riddle to get in?" Neville asked Luna.  
"Yes, and if you get it wrong you have to wait for someone else to come along and get it right." Luna explained. "Well, I better get inside and go to bed, lessons start tomorrow, and I wouldn't want to be tired." Neville nods in agreement.  
"Yeah, I better be heading off to my common room." They bade fare well and Luna reached on her tip toes to ruffle Neville's hair.  
"See you later, Nev!" Luna waved him goodbye and he waved back as she closed the door.

Neville walked silently to Gryffindor tower, remembering the trick step for the first time. When he entered the common room he saw a great commotion, and Harry and Ron right in the middle of it. He grinned, happy they were back. He felt a tap on his shoulder, and turned to see who it was. It was Hermione, looking relieved but cross at the same time. "Where were they?" Neville asked apprehensively, knowing that by the look on her face, Hermione is going to go on a long rant, but also knowing that she'll rant if he asks her or not.  
"There was a problem with the barrier, so they couldn't get through, and they decide that its such a brilliant idea to steal Ron s dads flying car and fly all the way here! And if thats not dangerous enough, THEY WERE SEEN! By _EIGHT_ muggles! Boys are so stupid sometimes! No offence Neville, I dont mean you. But they could have just sent an owl to the school! They could have waited by the car for Rons parents! They could have jeopardised the hole wizarding world!" Neville decided it was best to just nod and agree, and then tell Hermione that he was going to bed, and he walked up to his dormitory, changed to his pyjamas and fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3: Your cousin is WHO?

p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"((((I just want to say that I know that spectrespects show wrackspurts, and that wrackspurts live inside peoples heads, but for the sake of the story nargles and wrackspurts are the same thing.))))/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"_/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"The past couple of months for Neville had been filled with homework, helping Professor sprout with the Mandrakes, and walking Luna to her common room after the feast, just incase the person who has been attacking students appears./p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;""I sent daddy an owl last week, asking him to send me my spectrespects. They in the mail this morning, do you want me to give you them when we get to the common room?" Luna asked. Neville nodded. "Yes please, but only if you're sure that you're not going to need them anymore." Neville raised an eyebrow at his friend, waiting for confirmation. "Oh, no, It's fine. Like I said, I can sense them now. Besides, if I want another pair I can just ask daddy. You get them from 'The Quibbler', you see, and my father owns it. It's really okay." She reassured him./p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;""Luna!" Someone from behind them shouted, causing Luna to stop her explanation of how to get rid of Gulping plimpies, who apparantly hate gurdyroots. Luna and Neville both turned around, to come face to face with Draco Malfoy, who, as Neville was suprised to see, was smiling kindly at Luna. "Draco! How are you?" As Draco was at the bottom of the stairs, and Neville and Luna were in the middle, they had to yell. "Who's he to you?" Neville whispered to Luna. "Oh, you know how on the train I told you that I had a cousin in Slytherin? My cousin is Draco." Luna answered casually, as if it were no big deal, and to her it probably wasn't one. "Your cousin is em style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"WHO?/em" Malfoy had started to jog up the stairs to meet them. "I'm good. I've been looking to talk to you for ages. Congratulations on getting in Ravenclaw! Your mother will be very proud! Anyway, how has your time at Hogwarts been?" He grinned at her and Neville still stood there with his brain whirring. "It's been wonderful, considering the circumstances." Luna said truthfully, beaming at her cousin./p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;""That's good to hear. Well, if you need anyone to show you around or to escort you to make sure you don't get petrified, then you just need to ask." Draco offered, smiling back at Luna, who shook her head. "It's quite alright Draco. Nevilles already shown me around and always walks me to my commonroom after tea." Declined Luna, smiling towards Neville. Draco glowered down at Neville, who shrunk back slightly. "He's a wonderful friend." Luna continued. Draco continued glaring at Neville, who was starting to try and take a step backwards up the stairs. "Oh, is he now? I'm sure you could find someone much better than em style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"him/em." Draco turned up his nose at Neville and turned back to Luna, who scowled. "I hardly doubt I could find anyone even the slightest bit etter than Neville, actually. And It is not your job to tell me who I can and can not hang out with, because you hate everyone except for your own friends!" Luna yelled, and Neville grabbed her arm lightly, sensing that she was getting upset. "I'm sure this was a lovely reunion, but I think I will just walk with Luna to her common room now, and you can leave." Neville said firmly, and even under the stare of Draco Malfoy, who would not back down, because no one upset his friends and got away with it./p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;""Don't you dare tell me what to do. And I think em style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"I/em will escort her to her common room, I want to talk to her." Draco glared and the hand holding Lunas arm and Neville quickly let go. "Come on, cousin." Draco said to Luna and as he passed neville he mouth "Stay here." And they walked off, Neville staying where he was, not wanting to find out what Malfoy would do if he disobeyed. He watched Draco and Luna climb the spiralling staircase and he could hear their slightly more calm conversation. "Luna, why do you even hang out with Longbottom? He's not good at magic, and he's a boy!" Draco questioned. "So what if he's a boy? and I'll have you know, he's very good at Herbology, and he's not all that bad at any of his other subjects now that I mention it." Luna answered, causing Draco to huff. "What do you mean 'so what if he's a boy? Boys are disgusting!" Draco exclaimed, and Luna giggled at him. "Draco, your a boy." Luna reminded him, as if he had forgotten. "Obviously, that's why I know!" They laughed together and Neville was bewildered by how fast their attitudes changed towards each other./p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 15px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444;"Their voices faded as they walked up the stairs, then Neville heard the knocker ask; "What gets wet the more it dries?" Luna answered and the door closed, then the only sound was emMalfoys/em feet rushing to meet Neville. When Draco appeared infront of him, Neville had expected violence, a wand pulled out or even just some shouting from Draco. But Draco only sighed. "Follow me." Draco ordered, and Neville obliged. They walked down the corridor in silence, and Neville thought of this as 'the calm before the storm'. "I was planning on yelling at you, probably even hexing you. But then I realised that Luna is very fond of you, and your her best friend. And as long as it stays as em style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"just/em best friends, then I won't hex you. You mean a great deal to Luna , and she would probably never speak to me again if I hurt you in anyway. So I have decide, for Luna's sake only, that I will try to get along with you. Obviously we would never hang out, but I'm not going to hex you or bully you for all of your friendship with Luna. Now, I'm not saying I'm going to be em style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"nice/em to you, but I'm not going to be mean to you. Understand?" Draco asked. Neville merely nodded, thinking this over. "I also just want to say thank you for helping her, protecting her and befriending her. I was a bit worried that when she came to this school that she wouldn't make many friends. She's a bit… different. But you need to remember that if you hurt her in anyway than I will find you and I will have my wand. Right, that's everything I wanted to say, any questions?" He asked. Neville thought for a moment before answering. "Well, Luna said that you guys don't talk much, why are you so close? And how are you cousins?" Neville asked. Draco pondered the questions for a moment. "Well my father has always forbidden me to talk to Luna, he thinks her and her father are very odd. But of course we still talked a bit when no one else was is a very kind person, and my only relative in my generation. And Because she's younger than me I feel very protective over her." Neville nodded, then motioned for him to answer the next question. "Her mother was my fathers sister. He used to keep in touch with her and their family sometimes, but when she died he felt no need to." Draco finished. Neville nodded, processing all the information he had received in the past ten minutes. "Here we are. Don't ask me how I know where this is, I just do." Neville looked around and only just noticed that they were at the Gryffindor common room. "Oh, thanks. Um, see you around?" Neville asked awkwardly. "Uh, yeah. I guess." They both nodded a goodbye to each other and Draco turned away as Neville headed into the common room, brain working a thousand miles an hour./p 


End file.
